Minority Language Orthograph in Thailand: Five Case Studies

The Bru People in Khong Chiem, Ubon
Ratchathani

Julie Green and Feikje Van der Haak

Who are the Bru?

The Bru who live in Thailand, live in two villages: Woen Buek and Tha
Long in Khong Chlem District. Ubon Ratchathani Province. The two villages are
located 100 kilometers east of the Ubon Ratchathani Provincial capital. Woen
Buek village is situated on the bank of the Mekong River, at the point where the
river forms a large whirlpool. The first part of the name Woen Buek. nu wvm.
means 'whirlpool' in Bm. The second part refers to the very large lift bud; catfish
that one can catch in the river. The area surrounding both villages is very rocky,
and generally not well suited for wet rice farming. Woen Buek is located within
the larger Kaeng Tana National Forest.

Lifestyle

Most of the houses in Woen Buek are
built in a traditional Thai country style with wood
pilings, usually set on rocks, and either wood or
bamfcKK) walls with a tin roof. However, there are
a few cement block and brick houses. There are
three country stores and, for a while, the village
boasted a Saturday market that sold just about
everything from fruit and cloth to live pigs and
furniture. This market attracted vendors from as
far away as Ubon and customers from both sides
of the Mekong River. The village also has had a
preschool, elementary school, clinic, and various
community development projects, which were initiated by the govemment.

The nuclear family, and in some instances the extended family, is the
basic economic unit. Originally the Bru people from Woen Buek planted rfce in
the surrounding hills according to the slash and burn or swidden method, with
some fishing in streams and foraging in the forest for other food sources.
However, about forty years ago the government prohibited the use of national
forest land for rice planting and since then only a small percentage of the village
people possess agricultural land. As a result, the people have turned to other
sources for food and income: fishing on the Mekong river, basket weaving, and-
increasingly in the past twenty years-seasonal work away from the village, as far
as Bangkok and surroundings. Lately the fish in the Mekong and the food in the

25

Green & v.d. Haak - Bai Khong Chiem Orthography 26

forest is reported to be slowly depleting, increasing the pressure to find other
sources of incooie.

The division of labor t>etween Bru males and females seems to be
equally shared with no undue hardship on either of the sexes. The majority of the
economic and child rearing tasks can be done by either sex. Men will watch the
children, cook and pound rice. Women will go fishing. There are some tasks
that are considered "men's work" only, but it is said that these jobs are "men's
only" t}ecause women are not physically strong enough to do the task.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Bru in Khong Chiem are

bride and groom. The Bru. however,
are not allowed to marry their matrilineal cross-cousin, as well as any other
consanguineal kin. The Bru who are still in one of the four clans may not man^y
within their clan. Those who do not have a clan affiliation are urged to find a
mate that is outskie of their consanguineal and affinal kin. More often than not,
this means that marriage partners have to come from outside of Woen Buek
village.

Once a couple decides they will marry, negotiations between the two
families will begin. These negotiations will determine how much will be given by
each of the families for the wedding. In general, gifts from the groom's side
outweigh gifts from the bride's family. Ideally, by the time the wedding has taken
place, each party has given all of the gifts. Although it is not ideal, it is also
possible to negotiate for a later payment of the brideweatth during the initial
negotiations.

The traditional rule of post-marital residence is matritocal for at least one
year. After one or more years, but especially when the next daughter's husband
moves in, a man will build a house for his own young family. Usually that house
is built on land of the wife's family, which means they move right next door. This
new family is forbidden to live close to the husband's family and other taboos
govern the interaction between the in-laws. In-law taboos forbid extended and
intimate interaction t)etween the daughter-in-law and her husband's parents. The
daughter in-law is not allowed to enter or be under her in-law's house. She must
stay outside if they do go to visit, and if needed, a separate shelter will be built
especially for her. She also may not touch her in-laws' cooking utensils or hand

Green & v.d. Haak - Bru Khong Chiem Orthography 27

cooked food to any of her in-laws, so during feasts she may not help her mother-
in-law in the kitchen.

However, the matrilocal residence rule can flex with the home situation of
both the man and the wife. If the man is an only child, if he has no sisters, or if
his parents have more land for
building a house or doing rice fields
than his wife's parents (or any
combination of these reasons), then
a woman might leave her clan and
join her husband's family instead.
This provkles the newly wed couple
with land and a house, and the
elderly parents with children to care

for them. In such cases, however, the wife will have to leave her clan, by making
a buffalo sacrifice.

In Woen Buek, a clan head leads each clan. The position of clan head is
traditionally hereditary. It is passed on to a qualified male heir after the clan
head's death. If the clan head has several sons, the clan members will get
together and decide which of the sons will take the position. If there are no
eligible sons, the position is passed on to a qualified male ''nephew." The role of
the clan head is to mediate in social disputes and in matters that deal with the
clan ancestors. If a clan member has offended the ancestors (generally through
illk:it sexual unions or through marital divorce or separation), it is the clan head's
responsibility to take the offending part/s sacrifice to the ancestors place (usually
a small house or altar) and there sacrifice the animal, explaining the reason for
the sacrifice and asking for the ancestor's forgiveness and subsequent blessing.

The Bru in Woen Buek follow a mixture of Buddhist and traditional
animistic practices. Traditional animists respect and make sacrifices to the clan
ancestors along with a myriad of other supernatural beings and spirits. These
spirits have power over various aspects of the world and natural phenomena and
can cause people to be sick or bring disaster on them. Because these beings
and spirits can cause harm for the Bru either as individuals or as a village, the
Bru are careful not to offend any of the supernatural beings or spirits in their day
to day living.

i,ua4iwjvnjj^fia'3l^msjfiii?'3W?syv\i?2:ifiW4Viii9M'i 6 fan

In Honor of

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej

On the Auspicious Occasion of his Sixth Cycle Birthday

Minority Language Orthograph in Thailand;

Five Case Studies

Edited by the TU-SIL-LRDP Committee

Under the auspices of Thammasat University

and in cooperation with SIL International

January 2002